We are in the phase of a new moon…and suns. Bad Suns. 

Back in March, sun-soaked indie-rock band Bad Suns kicked off the spring portion of their Acceleratour, which is a play on their recent album, Accelerator. So far, they have brought the lively, dance-pop sound of the album to cities like Las Vegas, Indianapolis, and Baltimore, and they have treated audiences to lots of love, light, and fun. Bad Suns have been around since 2012, but five albums in, and their music is still as entertaining, meaningful, and colorful as it was when they released their debut album, Language & Perspective, in 2014. So, when they rolled up to Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, Florida, they were ready to put on a show—and they delivered.

First to hit the stage was alternative-rock group little image. I’ll admit, I wasn’t too familiar with them, but it was so easy to become a fan. They were very at-ease, their songs were dynamic and engaging, and they talked to the crowd like old friends. There was also a sense that little image should be performing in arenas, as they set the bar high during their set. There was smoke, moody blue and purple lighting, and a solid setlist. Fans could recognize older songs like “Bottles” from 2017’s Musings or “OUT OF MY MIND” from 2023’s SELF TITLED, but there were also songs from little image’s latest album, KILL THE GHOST. The album hasn’t even been out for a month yet, and people in the audience were singing all the words to songs like “THE RABBIT” and “KILL THE GHOST” like they had been for years. Lead singer Jack Simmons concluded that the band is “really proud” of the record, and to that, a fan yelled, “IT’S AWESOME!” There’s no doubt that fans were listening to it as they made their way home after the show. 

While this is the Acceleratour, Bad Suns included more than just hits from Accelerator in their set. They made their way through their catalog, performing old songs like 2014’s “Transpose” and “We Move Like the Ocean” and other songs like 2016’s “Heartbreaker” and 2019’s “Hold Your Fire.” There was also “Baby Blue Shades” and “Heaven Is a Place in My Head,” both from 2022’s Apocalypse Whenever, and the newer songs like “Why Am I Like This?” and “Mystery Girl.” Bad Suns seamlessly moved from one era to the next, just as the lights effortlessly changed from pink to orange to yellow throughout their set. 

A highlight came about 20 minutes in when lead singer Christo Bowman told the crowd, “I’ve got a really good feeling of the vibe in the crowd tonight.” He then explained his vision: If everyone in the crowd goes on their phones and pulls up their song “Communicating,” maybe all of the phones will work as one giant speaker and the crowd will be able to play the song back to the band. It was a great idea, in theory, but it tragically failed in execution. Regardless, it was a unifying moment, and all that matters is “we tried our best,” as Christo explained. He further shared that we need more people coming together and working together for the greater good in this world, and trying to come together for the sake of music is a start. 

Indeed, Bad Suns made everyone feel included, whether Christo was performing on one side of the stage or the other, encouraging fans to clap or dance, or blowing kisses to the crowd after the occasional song. He also mentioned, “The weekend has arrived my friends, and I can feel it,” and this feeling definitely carried on long after the St. Petersburg date of the Acceleratour came to a close. 

BAD SUNS

LITTLE IMAGE

Photos + Review by Christine Sloman | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!